It's been a terrible season for the Old Firm – and Scottish football in general – but did the Scottish Cup semi-final show all is not lost?

"The only Celtic fan who would be uncomfortable watching that today would be Brendan Rodgers, because where has that intensity, that aggression, that press, that desire been in recent months?," Stephen McGowan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

W ith the possible exception of the very early weeks of the season, when Celtic and Rangers meet, it is usual for one of them to be hovering somewhere close to crisis. It is simply the nature of Scottish football, the overwhelming strength and remorseless antipathy of the Glasgow sides. When one is down, the other is presumably up.

Ultimately, the impact was Monday’s implosion, Rodgers’ departure, Desmond’s missile and O’Neill and Maloney at Parkhead stadium on Tuesday. On Wednesday night, they will be back: Celtic play Falkirk in the league. The reaction will intrigue Celtic-watchers.

Martin O'Neill conceded he "didn't know anything" about Callum Osmand until a week ago, but he has hailed his "excellent" contribution since. "The young man is very sharp," the Celtic interim manager said after the teenager's goalscoring display in the League Cup semi-final win over Rangers.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Celtic vs. Rangers Scottish League Cup game from November 2, 2025 on ESPN.

After an energetic start, Celtic initially took the lead thanks to an own goal, as Nasser Djiga knocked the ball off Nico Raskin. However, after a short delay, Celtic celebrations would be silenced as VAR overturned the goal, ruling that Daizen Maeda had been offside in the build-up. An extremely tight decision, but the Celts pushed on.

The Buddies were magnificent at Hampden in the semi-final as they dispatched Motherwell 4-1 with a sparkling display, setting up a date with Celtic at the national stadium on 14 December. Motherwell have been much praised this season for their style of football, but they were nullified - outfought and outplayed by the Paisley side.

The Durotriges were a Celtic tribe that lived in present-day southern England prior to Roman conquest during the 1st century CE. Extensive archaeological excavations and DNA analysis indicate that the group was highly matrilineal,

Martin O'Neill has won the hearts of Celtic fans as he continued his unbeaten start with victory over Rangers as the permanent job beckons.

For over a decade, Rangers' turbulence has provided their rivals with a steady diet of schadenfreude, but ahead of Sunday's League Cup semi-final, both clubs have been fighting for the negative headlines. In the east end, Celtic fans have spent weeks protesting against a board they see as out of touch.